1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a fluted firearm barrel.
2. Background Art
Typical conventional firearm barrel technology includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,738,044; 3,483,794; 4,982,648; 5,054,224; 5,448,848; 5,794,374; 6,314,857; 6,324,780; 6,381,895; 6,508,159; and 6,574,898.
Referring to FIG. 1 a diagram illustrating a fragmented sectional view of a portion of a conventional firearm barrel 10 having conventional straight cut flutes (i.e., flutes with undercut, UA) 12 is shown. The barrel 10 is substantially cylindrical with a center of the radial section, BC. When a straight walled cutter (see, for example, FIG. 2) is used to produce the fluting 12, the undercut, UA, is the additional material removed at an arcuate radial distance beyond (outside of) radial vectors from the barrel center, BC, to the outer surface of the barrel 10. The flutes 12 have a width, W, that is the width of the cutting tool (as illustrated in FIG. 2). The barrel 10 may have rifling 14.
Referring to FIG. 2 a diagram illustrating an edge view of an example of a tool 20 for producing the conventional straight cut flutes 12 of FIG. 1 is shown. The tool 20 can be a conventional rotating cutting tool having a shaft 22 and the width, W. The angle of the cut 12 is equal to or less than UA as the tool 20 can not undercut an angle greater than UA.
Referring to FIG. 3 a diagram illustrating a fragmented sectional view of a portion of a conventional firearm barrel 10′ having conventional angle cut flutes (i.e., angle cuts UB and UC) 12′ is shown. The angle cut flutes 12′ typically have a wide width, WW, at the outer surface of the barrel 10′ and a narrow width, WN, at the inner surface of the flute 12′.
Referring to FIG. 4 a diagram illustrating an edge view of an example of a tool 20′ for producing the conventional angle cut flutes 12′ of FIG. 3 is shown. The angle cuts UB and UC may be same or different, but are equal to or less than UA as the tool 20′ cannot cut an angle greater than UA.
Referring to FIG. 5 a diagram illustrating a fragmented sectional view of a portion of a conventional firearm barrel 10″ having conventional semi-circular cut flutes 12″ is shown. The angle cut flutes 12′ typically have a diameter equal to the width, W.
Referring to FIG. 6 a diagram illustrating an edge view of an example of a tool 20″ for producing the conventional angle cut flutes 12″ of FIG. 5 is shown. The angle of the cut 12″ is equal to or less than UA as the tool 20″ can not undercut an angle greater than UA.
A conventional firearm barrel having conventional spiral flutes is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,324,780, on FIGS. 1 and 2 as gun barrel 10. U.S. Pat. No. 6,324,780 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
However, conventional flutes may fail to provide a sufficient increase in surface area over that of an unfluted barrel to provide a desired amount of heat dissipation while maintaining barrel stiffness close to that of an unfluted barrel. Conventional flutes may fail to provide the desired amount of weight reduction. Conventional add-on (i.e., accessory) cooling devices such as bolt-on heat sinks may fail to provide a sufficient combination of heat dissipation and barrel stiffness as such devices are not integral to the barrel. Such add-on devices increase the weight of the weapon.
Thus, there exists a need and an opportunity for an improved fluted firearm barrel. Such an improved fluted firearm barrel may overcome one or more of the deficiencies of the conventional approaches.